The kids were bored while we shopped for our Christmas tree this year, and they made this video while waiting. We were wondering what they were doing!
Thanksgiving Smorgasbord
Thanksgiving is just that. . . A time for thanks, and a time for giving. As you share your home with others this Thanksgiving, share your faith, traditions, and your recipes! Here are some of my favorite recipes fitting for the Thanksgiving holiday. Click on the photo to go to the recipe.
Yams
Mac n Cheese
Sweet Potato Pie
Butternut Squash
Lemon Pound Cake
Collard Greens
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Domestic Violence is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation, often including the threat or use of violence. I personally wanted to bring awareness to this ugly tragedy. So here are some facts, and information on domestic violence, to keep you in the “know”.
FACTS
- #1 FACT: Most domestic violence incidents are never reported.
- 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence during her lifetime.
- Domestic violence and abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, income, or other factors.
- Women and men can be victims of domestic violence.`
- More than 60% of domestic violence incidents happen at home
- Domestic violence is the third leading cause of homelessness among families
- Women ages 18 to 34 are at greatest risk of becoming victims of domestic violence.
- More than 4 million women experience physical assault and rape by their partners.
- In 2 out of 3 female homicide cases, females are killed by a family member or intimate partner.
Here are some possible warning signs that a partner is abusive or could become abusive from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Monitors what you’re doing all the time, checks your phone, texts, calls or email
- Decides things for you that you should be allowed to decide (like what to wear or eat)
- Isolates you from friends and family
- Humiliates you in front of others
- Controls how you spend your money
- Downplays your feelings or your fears, calls you “crazy” or “overly-dramatic”
- Forces you to have sex against your will
- Threatens to harm himself or herself when upset with you
- Threatens to hurt you, your children, or pets
- Hurts you (by hitting, beating, pushing, shoving, punching, slapping, kicking, or biting)
Help change the facts. Speak up, speak out, and make a difference for victims of domestic violence.
National Domestic Violence Hotline: A confidential, free, 24-hour hotline for victims
LoveIsRespect: A confidential, free, 24-hour hotline to help teens
The U.S. Office for Victims of Crime: Offers a state-by-state breakdown of available legal and financial assistance for victims of crimes
WomensLaw.org: Offers a tool to find shelters and/or legal help in your area
http://www.safehorizon.org/page/domestic-violence-statistics–facts-52.html
It Really is a Small World . . . An Amazing Story!
April 1978
Rustling…….Whispering……… I awake from a deep sleep and focus on 3 dark figures in the night, but I’m not alarmed because this scenario is becoming all too frequent.
Another night that the pulled out couch in my room is being used. Now a 13 year old girl needs her beauty sleep…what gives? I settle in and continue my ever so important sleep.When I awake in the morning, there lay 2 small girls sound asleep on the pull-out couch. I ignore them, as I tip toe about getting ready for school, trying to avoid the large couch that occupies more than half the floor space.
When I arrive home after school everything is arranged neatly back in it’s place in my room, like nothing ever happened. Continue reading
Autumn Aroma
The weather in New England never ceased to amaze me when I lived there. It could go from a sizzling summer day to full-on autumn in the blink of an eye. That “autumn state of mind” is what I miss most about Boston. That 60s and below chill in the air, those bright gorgeous oranges, golds, yellows and reds against a blue flawless sky, and the smell of fallen leaves is what I miss most. When I first moved to California, my college room-mate sent me pressed leaves from Connecticut. She’ll never know how much that meant to me!
Autumn is my favorite season. Here in California we don’t pack away the flip-flops and flimsy summer outfits until almost November. We continue to have warm days, but despite the lack of fall pizzazz here in Southern California, the Fall soon brings cool nights, and morning fog. Autumn is a time for high school and Monday Night Football. NBA Basketball creeps its way into our home at the end of October. The days grow shorter and the nights are longer. Somehow this “autumn state of mind” prepares my body to long for quiet indoor days, curled up with a hot mug in hand, reading by the fire. Autumn brings cornucopia foods to the table. Fresh squash and yams, apples, pears and cranberries. Stews, Chilies, and roasts soon fill up the house with warmth and succulent aroma.
Kick off the Fall season by filling your home with the aromatic benefits of essential oils. Diffuse clove, rosemary and orange essential oil. Clove provides anti-bacterial properties, while Rosemary promotes clear thinking, and Orange burns toxins in your body.
Kim's What's Up 